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DIY Peplum Top, aka The Seam Ripper

For this project I used leftover fabric from McCalls M6920 dress that I just made. Using Vogue Pattern V8936, I cut the pieces for pattern B and I was so anxious to get sewing that I went ahead and got started… I completed the top and the next day, headed to JoAnn’s to get some lining fabric. I knew that the pattern called for a liner, but with my overly impatient [explicit], I decided to buy the liner after I had already started sewing! I keep coming back to this, but I need to be more patient.

So, I got my liner and yep, you guessed it, my entire top needs to be lined. What does that mean exactly? Trust and believe, I re-assembled this whole blouse in my mind and how I could add this lining without taking it apart. In distress, I asked my husband what he thought I should do and naturally he says I should take it apart and start over……… I agreed, I just didn’t want to put in that extra time, but that’s just what I did. I went ahead and sewed the peplum bottom together, so after taking top apart, adding the liner, I will be ready to go!

Or so I thought… ok, so I’ve cut and added the lining only to read a little further down the instructions to see that I could have kept doing what I was doing and added the lining separately. The instructions actually tell you to put the top together, then assemble the peplum. Next, the tell you to assemble to lining and then attach the lining to the top. [Deep Sigh]… At this point, I have completely taken apart the top, added the lining pieces to the front pieces. It looks fine from the outside, but the inside would look better if I had followed the instructions. I was planning on adding the shorter skirt, but at this point I think I just want to finish! We’ll see how it all ends up. I need a break!

I’ve attached the peplum to the lined top and after sewing a small part of the bottom to the top (unintentionally), I decided to sew with the bottom facing up to complete the topstitch. Yet another mistake. I got half-way thru and the line on the front of the top was completely out of whack. I am so determined to finish this top, but have had to use the seam ripper more times than I’d like to admit. This pattern is supposed to be ‘easy’ and maybe I’m having some user-errors here, but this has become far from easy.

Adding the zipper. This is my first zipper.

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Alterations: I cut a B, size 10, with a 3-quarter length sleeve. I decided against adding a shorter peplum for a layered affect to avoid further issues. Overall, I like the outcome. Aside from my waist not fitting in this top…. the end result looks good! LOL

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Pattern Review: Overall, I think the instructions are easy to follow. I think I would have had a better time if the lining part was put before, or even immediately following the top and not after the peplum.

Will I try this pattern over again? I’ll definitely try this again, may be with a lighter fabric.

Lessons Learned: Read all of the directions before starting. I could have saved so much time on this project.